alsop



Jan. 15, 1929. 1,698,749

J. N. ALSOP METHOD OF .AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING smbkn Original Filed Feb. 3, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 15, 1929.

J. N.= ALSOP METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING SMOKE Original Filed Feb. 5, 192,5 3 Sheets$heet 2 Jan. 15, 1929. 1,698,749

J. N. ALSOP METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING SMOKE Original Filed Feb. 5, 1925 Y 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Jan. 15, 1929.

UNITED STATES 1,698,749 PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES N. ALSOP, OF ALEXANDRIA, LOUISIANA, ASSIGNOR TO SMOKED PRODUCTS COM- PANY, INCORPORATED, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING SMOKE.

Application filed February 3, 1925, Serial No. 6,585. Renewed June 9, 1928.

This invention relates to methods of and apparatus for making smoke out of any suitable smoke producing material, for example, sawdust, which is one of the materials used.

The object of the invention is to provide a method and an apparatus for carrying out that method b y means of which smoke may be rapidly and continuously generated in such manner as to eliminate, to a large degree, heavy and objectionable gaseous constituents which are deleterious, or, at least, undesirable in the smoking of edible substances, for which use my method and apparatus are primarily designed.

This improvement in the quality of the smoke is obtained by thoroughly agitating the smoke producing material during burning, and commingling with the smoke, as generated, sufficient volume of air to dilute the smoke and give a mixture of high quality.

The method may be mechanically carried out by various forms of apparatus, but that illustrated and described herein has, in actual demonstration, proved itself to be an efficient type of construct-ion, and handles the material from the feeding end to the delivery end in a rapid and continuous manner, the burning of the material during its transit from end to end of the machine, and its agitation by the shifting elements resulting in a maximum production of smoke from the material under treatment.

In the drawings herewith, I have shown a type of machine with which the method has been successfully practiced, but since the mechanical features may be varied, this showing is to be regarded as illustrative, and not restrictive of the invention.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a bodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view with the hood removed.

Fig. 3 is a view in longitudinal section of the machine.

Fig. dis a view in transverse section of the machine. v

Fig. 5 is a detail of a portion of the agitator.

Fig. 6 is a detail view of the hot support or bed and its burner pipes.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, like numbers referring to like parts in the several views, 10 indicates the frame of the machine which may be of any suitable construction. Mounted upon the frame 10 is machine emthe bed or floor over which the material is passed in burning. 7 This bed or floor is preferably made with burner receiving channels on its under side, and While the construction may vary, I have found that it may be convemently made up'of channel irons 11 bolted together through the vertical flanges, as shown.

Suitable burner pipes 12 extend into a suitable number of these channels, and, in the present instance, I have shown a-. burner for each of the channels. These burner pipes 12 are fed from a main pipe 13, or in any suitable manner, and any fuel may be used, although, preferably, a gaseous fuel is supplied.

At the forward or feeding end of the floor 11 is provided a feed chute 14 of such char actor that it will feed a stream of sawdust, or other suit-able material, in properly graduated quantities to the burning fioor, the feed chute being supplied from a hopper, or in any other suitable manner.

ounted above the burning floor is the agitator for the material, this agitator being shown in the present instance as made up of a frame 15 having a series of spaced agitating bars 16. The frame 15 is suspended at its ends from eccentrics 17 mounted upon suit-- able shafts 18, there being provided eccentric straps 19 which rest upon the eccentrics and receive the eccentric motion therefrom. The frame 15 is supported by link members 20, one at each corner of the frame, these link members 20 bein in turn pivoted on the suit able supports. hafts 18 are supported at the upper ends of upright arms 35, which latter are of equal length and rockable on shafts 21 and 21'. Arms are maintained in parallel relation by means of horizontal connecting rods 36 pivotally connected thereto.

With this construction there will be given to the agitator a four motion movement when the eccentrics 17 are rotated, the shafts 18 being driven from the main power shaft 21, preferably by a chain and sprocket drive 22, and power is transmitted from the eccentric shaft 18 at the forward or feeding end of the machine to the eccentric shaft at the delivery end of the machine by a chain and sprocket connection 23. The vertical movements of the agitator are so timed and determined as to raise and lower the agitating bars 16 from and to the burning floor, so as to contact With the floor in position to engage the material thereon at intervals.

In addition to this raising and falling movement, the agitator frame is given a reciprocating movement lon itudinally of the hurnim floor by means of an eccentric 24, preferably at the forward end of the machine as here shown, mounted upon a suitable shaft driven by chain and s rocket connection 25' from the main driving shaft. The eccentric 24 is connected by means of eccentric strap 26 with rods 36. Thus upon rotation of shaft 25, arms are rocked about their supporting shafts impartin a longitudinal movement to the agitating rame. This longitudinal reciprocation of the agitator frame, combined with the vertical movements heretofore described, results in a feeding movement of the agitator bar 16 over the burning floor, and a shifting of the material gradually toward the delivery end.

The ratio of the movements and their timing may be varied to meet the needs of the situation.

The shifting of the material in the manner and by the mechanism described results in thoroughly agitating it while continually moving it forward, and keeps it in a state of flux, so thatwhile the material will burn and char, it will not burst into flame, nor willit blanketthe under la er and the smoke being given off thereby. urthermore, there is a thorough commingling of air with the materiaLas a of this agitation, and the smoke given off is not only large in volume and continuous, but it is of a very desirable quality. In practice I have found that when the action of the agitator is suspended, there will be an excessive burning of the lower area of the material which is in contact with the burning floor, and also a blanketing and cessation of the smoke, whereas, u on starting up the agitator, the smoke wili at once be given off in a constant and steady volume.

At the delivery end of the machine the reduced material, char and ash, will be taken away by any suitable means. The particular means here shown I have found to be eflicient, and it comprises a conduit 27, preferably made of round pipe, having a receiving slot 28 in its side, so positioned relative to the burning floor and agitators as that the reduced material is pushed through the slot into the pipe at the delivery end of the burning floor vby the agitating bars. A standard spiral conveyor 29 is provided in the conduit 27, driven by chain and sprocket connections from the eccentric shaft 18 at the delivery end of the machine. The spiral conveyor shifts the reduced material, and delivers it at the end of the pipe 27 to any suitable waste receptacle. V In order to convey the smoke to the point of use, there is provided a hood 31 which is posit oned over the agitating frame, so as to receive the smoke coming from the burning floor and lead it off through a pipe 32. The

hood 31 is preferably provided with perfora-v tions 33 to admit air to promote combustion and create draft. Additionally, there may be provided, if desired, damper openings 34 with suitable closures, so that thevolume of air admitted may be regulated. By permitting the introduction of air through the openings or in any other suitable manner, the sawdust is agitated on the heated support in the open air; this assists oxidation of products formed by heating of the wood, advances the conversion, and is believed to produce an increased quantityof preservative constituents simultaneously with an apparent decrease in acetic acid content of the smoke.

While I have described a particular type of machine, it is to be understood that the construction may be varied, and mechanical expedients which are the equivalents of those here disclosed adopted without departing from the range of my invention.

I elaim:-

1. The new and improved method of producing smoke, which consists in depositing smoke making material upon a hot surface, agitating'the material periodically to aerate it and release smoke, and feeding the material periodically over the hot surface.

2. The new and improved method of producing smoke, which consists in depositing smoke making material upon a hot support, agitating definite areas of the material, and feeding the material at predetermined intervals of time over the hot surface.

3. The new and improved method of producing smoke, which consists in depositing smoke making material upon a hot support, agitating definite areas of the material transversely of the hot surface, and feeding the material atpredetermined intervals of time over the hot support.

4. The new and improved method of producing smoke, which consists in depositing smoke making material upon a hot support, agitating definite areas of the material transversely of the hot surface, and feeding the areas of material simultaneously at predetermined intervals of time over the hot support.

'5. The new and improved method of producing smoke, which consists in depositing smoke making material upon a hot support, agitating definite areas of the material transversely of the hot surface, and imparting a feeding movement to said agitating means at predetermined intervals of time to feed the material over the hot support.

6. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a support for the smoke pro ducing material, means for heating said support, means for agitating a definite area of the smoke producing material, and means for feeding the material at predetermined intervals of time over said support.

7. In a machine of the class described, the

combination of a support for the smoke producing material, means for heating s'aid support,-a member disposed transversely to said support and adapted to engage and agitate a definite area of the material, and means for imparting at predetermined intervals of time a feeding movement to said agitating member longitudinally of said support to feed the material over the support.

8. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a support for the smoke making material, means for heating said support, a plurality of agitating bars to agitate definite areas of the material, and means to impart feeding movements at predetermined intervals to said bars to feed the material over said support.

9. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a support for the smoke making material, means for heating said support, a plurality of bars disposed transversely of said support and adapted to engage and agitate definite areas of the material, means for imparting agitating movements simultaneously to said bars, and means to impart feeding movements at predetermined intervals to said bars to feed the material longitudinally over said support.

10. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a support for the smoke making material, means for heating said support, a plurality of agitating bars disposed transversely of said supporting surface to engage and agitate the material, means for impart-- ing agitating movements to said bars, and independent means to impart feeding movements at predetermined intervals to said bars to feed the material over said support.

11. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a support for the smoke pro ducing material, means for heating said support, an agitating frame provided with a plurality of bars disposed transversely of said support and adapted to engage and agitate the material, means for imparting agitating movements to said frame, and means to move said frame longitudinally to impart feedin movements to said bars to feed the material over said support.

12. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a support for the smoke producing material, means for heating said support, a movable frame having a plurality of bars disposed transversely of said support and adapted to engage and agitate definite areas of the material, means for actuating said frame to impart a four motion movement to said agitating bars, and means to move said frame longitudinally to impart feeding movements at predetermined intervals to said frame and bars and feed the material over said support.

13. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a support for the smoke making material, means for heating said support, a movable frame having a plurality of bars to engage and agitate definite areas of the material, eccentric means for imparting a four motion agitating movement to said frame and bars, and means bodily to move said frame to impart feeding movements at predetermined intervals of time to said agi tating means and feed the material over the support.

14. Ina machine of the class described, the combination of ahot support for the smoke making material, a movable frame having a plurality of bars to engage and agitate definite areas of the material, eccentric means for imparting a four motion agitating movement to said frame and bars, and eccentric mechanism to impart feeding movements at predetermined intervals of time to said frame and bars and feed the material over the hot support.

15. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a support for the smoke producing material, means for heating said support, a frame having a plurality of agitating bars to engage and agitate definite areas of the material, a plurality of eccentrics on which said frame is supported and by which a four motion agitating movement is imparted to it, pivotal supporting arms for said eccentrics, and means for rocking said arms for moving said frame longitudinally of said support to feed the material therealong.

16. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a support for the smoke pro ducing material, means for heating said support, agitating means to engage and agitate definite areas of the material, means for imparting a four motion movement to said agitating means, and independent means for imparting a feeding movement to said agitating means at a predetermined point in its orbit to feed the material over the support.

17. In a machine of the class described. the combination of a support for the smoke producingmaterial, means for heating said support, agitating means adapted to engage and agitate definite areas of the material, means for imparting four motion movement to said agitating means, and independent means for mparting a feeding movement to said agitatorbit when it is nearest said support.

18. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a support for the smoke producing material, means for heating said support, means adjacent said support to engage and agitate the material, means for producing relative movements between said support and said agitating means to effect agitation of the material, and means to effect relative feeding movements between said support and sald agitator to feed the material over said support.

19. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a support, means for heating said support, agitating means adjacent ing means at substantially the point in its said support to engage and agitate the smokeproducing material, eccentrics to impart a four motion. agitating movement to said agitating means, a movable frame carrying sai eccentrics, and means for moving said frame and its supported parts at predetermined intervals of time to feed the material over said support.

20. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a support, means for heating said support, agitating means adjacent said support to engage and agitate the smoke producing material, eccentrlcs upon which said agitating means is supported to impart a tour motion agitating movement to said agitating means, a movable frame carrying said eccentrics, and means for moving said frame and its supported parts at predetermined intervals of time to feed the material over said support.

21. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a support for the smoke producing material,.means for heating said support, agitating means adapted to engage and agitate the material, eccentrics on which said agitating means are removably mounted to impart a four motion agitatin movement tosaid agitating means, a pivotaIly mounted frame carrying said eccentrics and agitating means, and eccentric mechanism connected with said frame to impart at predetermined intervals of time a feeding movement to said agitating means.

22. In a machine of the class described, a support for the smoke producing material,

a member above said support and extending transversely thereof, and means for raising and lowering said member and advancing it in its lowered position for feeding the ma.- terial over said support.

23. In a machine of the class described, a support for the smoke producing material, a member above said support and extending transversely thereof, and means for raising said member and permitting it to return to a lower position under the influence of gravity, said means operating to advance said member in its lower position longitudinally of said support for feeding the material therealong.

24. In a machine of the class described, a

support for the smoke producing material,

means for heating said support, a member above said support and extending transversely thereof, means for raising and lowering said member, and means foradv-ancing said member in its lowered position longitudinally of said support for feeding the material therealon 1 25. In a machine of the class described, a support for the smoke producing material, means for heating said support, a' member above said support and extending transversely thereof, means for positively raising said member and allowing it to return to a lower position under the influence of gravity, and means for advancing said member in its lower position longitudinally of said support for feeding the material therealon.

26. In a machine of the class described, a support for comminuted wood to be burned, means for advancing the comminuted wood over said support and agitating it, means for burning the wood as it is advanced and agitated, and a hood over the support for 001-. looting and conducting off the smoke produced, said support being exposed to the air.

27. In a machine of the class described, a relatively fiat support for comminuted wood to be burned, means for advancing th comminuted wood over said support and gitating it, means for burning the wood as it is advanced and agitated, and means over the support for collecting and conducting o'if the smoke produced, said support being exposed to the air.

28. In a machine of the class described, a relatively flat support for comminuted wood to be burned, substantially reciprocatory means arranged above the support for advancing the comminuted wood over said support and agitating it, means for burning the wood as it is advanced and agitated, and means over the support for collectin and conducting ofi the smoke produced, said support being exposed to the air.

29. In a machine of the class described, a support for comminuted wood to be burned, means for advancing the comminuted wood over said support and agitating it, means for heating the support and thereby burning the wood as it is advanced and agitated, and a hood over the support for collecting and condueting oflf the smoke produced, said support being exposed to the air.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set m hand.

y JAMES N. ALSOP. 

